Don’t Drop The Baton!

A Message to Millennials…and Their Managers

If you are a Millennial you are probably anticipating the excitement life has to offer. A recent poll shows that most Millennials, especially minorities, still believe in the American dream. Yet along with the excitement comes the pressure of figuring out where you fit and how everything works.

The bottom line is that Millennials want to make a difference. However, making a difference involves becoming a better version of yourself.

When we first wrote Managing The Millennials, our stated purpose was to help leaders and managers of Millennials better understand this new generation that was flooding the workforce. We discovered there was a tremendous need for managers to understand this emerging generation, as well as the events shaping their approach to life and work.

In our research for the first edition we learned something else. Millennials also need some skill development. If you are a Millennial, a parent of a Millennial, a teacher of a Millennial, a manager of a Millennial or just someone that wants to see millennials succeed, Managing The Millennials, 2nd Editionis the right source for you.

Along with revising and updating the work, we added 2 chapters. The 1st new chapter includes the impact Millennials are having internationally. After the book was originally released we were amazed to discover that the first companies expressing enthusiasm over the book were multinationals experiencing generational tensions throughout their worldwide operations. National and multinational organizations realize that their future vitality is dependent on their ability to attract, retain, motivate and develop Millennials.

The baton is being passed.

The 2nd additional chapter identifies a set of challenges Millennials face when they enter the workforce. Understanding these challenges is highly valuable to both younger and older workers. However, if you are a parent, coach or mentor to a younger worker, you will discover the new information to be insightful and practical.

Mentoring relationships have the potential of breaking down the barriers of generational differences. It helps create an environment for a conversation with one another rather than simply a conversation about one another.

Helping Millennials fit into organizational culture leads to

alignment with the values and goals,

a pride in belonging,

and longevity.

Mentoring relationships facilitate organizational commitment. Even more critical, this allows the transfer of experience and knowledge. And we all understand that this is a major component of a good baton pass.

The metaphor we use for the challenges Millennials face at work is ROADBLOCK. Roadblocks keep us from going where we want to go. At best, they delay you or detour you. At worst they derail you. They fall into 3 categories – things about them, things about their managers, and things about their relationship with their manager. Here are some of them:

A lack of experience

Not being taken seriously

Not getting respect

Being perceived as entitled

A lack of patience

Getting helpful feedback

Understanding expectations

A manager who mentors is in a unique position to help Millennials understand how they are perceived. This perception will impact the communication between them and older workers.

We share strategies for overcoming all of the roadblocks Millennials encounter. The strategies and challenges have been synthesized into 7 skills needed for overcoming the roadblocks they face at work.

After reading the 2nd Edition your mind will be filled with ideas for your next meeting or next opportunity to be with your Millennial co-worker. The 9 competencies for managers, and the 7 skills for Millennials will be the bedrock you will build on for the rest of your professional life.

Mick Ukleja is an
international authority
on leadership training
and organizational
effectiveness. As a researcher, consultant, business leader, speaker and published author, Mick’s advice is sought by current and future
c-level executives.